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Italy: Eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily - a tourist attraction?
SICILY (Italy), February 20, 2025 – Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes located in Sicily, has been erupting for several days and is under constant surveillance by authorities due to the influx of tourists from around the globe, as reported by civil protection officials and forest rangers on Wednesday.
Despite the implementation of safety measures, including restrictions on the distances that must be maintained around the volcano, conditions remain particularly hazardous at an altitude of approximately 1,800 meters near the lava flows. Civil protection officials emphasized the challenges of managing hikers in the area.
This week, the mayor of Adrano, a municipality close to Etna, issued an order prohibiting access to the lava front and also utilized social media to warn tourists to comply with safety guidelines.
Volcanologist Giovanni recommended maintaining a distance of at least 100 to 200 meters, explaining that, “the lava is moving slowly, but it is indeed moving. There are falls of hot stones as well as snow. The interaction between the hot lava—rocks heated to around 800 degrees—and the snow could trigger steam explosions capable of ejecting small fragments of incandescent lava into the air.”
